Coca Cola: A Backyard Invention

Coca Cola: A Backyard Invention

Author: History Hit August 9, 2023 Duration: 52:36

Was Coca Cola originally made with Cocaine? Did Coca Cola invent Santa? Who knows the Coca Cola recipe? Dallas is joined by Bart Elmore, an award-winning Professor and Writer who investigates the impact of big business on our environment to answer all of the questions which bubble in our minds about Coca Cola.


In 1864 Pharmacist, John Pemberton is injured in the American Civil War, finding himself bankrupt, addicted to morphine and trying to ween himself off it. If you're thinking about the person who's about to create the best brand in the world.... you might not think of this guy.


He concocts a tonic in his backyard to deal with his addiction to help take the edge of, but little did he know, he was creating arguably the most recognisable drink and brand in the world.


To learn more about the fascinating world of Coca Cola, make sure to check out Bart Elmore's book Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism.


Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Alex Carlon & Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code PATENTED. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Dallas Campbell guides you through the fascinating and often overlooked backstories of the objects and ideas that shaped our world in Patented: History of Inventions. This isn't just a dry recounting of dates and blueprints; it's a deep dive into the human drama behind innovation. You'll hear about accidental breakthroughs, the forgotten figures whose contributions were sidelined, and the clever-sometimes dubious-marketing that turned an idea into a household name. From questioning the true legacy of figures like Thomas Edison to uncovering the surprising connection between foundational garments and space exploration, each episode unpacks these narratives with a sense of curiosity and wit. Produced by History Hit, the podcast brings in historians, scientists, and specialists to add depth and context, transforming every tale into a compelling detective story. Tune in for a consistently engaging exploration that reveals how luck, persistence, and sheer human ingenuity collide to create the fabric of modern life. The result is a listening experience that changes the way you look at the ordinary world around you, one remarkable story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Patented: History of Inventions
Podcast Episodes
Locks and the Great Lock Controversy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:51
In Victorian England, a prisoner was promised their freedom if only they could pick a lock...This week on Patented it's the history of locks and the wild stories of the race for perfect security during the Industrial Rev…
Suffragette Scientists [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:21
Hold onto your lab coats, because the suffragette scientists are here to shake things up! Patricia Fara, author of A Lab of One's Own, joins Dallas to tell the stories of forgotten pioneers of invention during the Suffra…
Hieroglyphs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:04
Vulture. Snake. Baboon in a Basket. Get ready for hieroglyphs, history, and hilarity as Dallas talks to Egyptologist Chris Naunton.We discover the mysteries of the Narmer Palette and the birth of hieroglyphs, crack the c…
Stone Tools: The First Ever Invention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
Stone Tools are technology 1.0. They’re where it all begins. For millions of years, Stone Tools were our primary piece of technology. At some point we became dependent on them for survival. They became a defining part of…
Colours: from Cave Paint to Nanotube Black [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:39
There's a theory that the invention of paint had something to do with the dawn of humanity. We are on a never-ending quest to create brighter, better colours. From grinding rocks, to crushing bugs, concocting chemicals a…
Inventing Disneyland: The First Themepark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:02
Giant mouse ears at the ready, we're off to Disneyland! Hop on board and travel with us inside Walt Disney's mind (for better or for worse). We discover how he came up with the idea, what it all means, and how his dream…
Rise and Fall of Encyclopedias [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:08
The 15th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1974, cost $32 million to create. The largest investment in publishing history. And yet you can now buy the complete set for pennies.Who invented encyclopedia…
Inventing Bond: Wiretapping [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:09
We live in a world where everything is bugged. We all know we are being monitored. The surprising thing is that this is nothing new.From tapped telegraph wires to bugged Martini olives, Dallas is finding out about the hi…
Chicken Nuggets: A Bitesized History [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
The most famous chicken nugget of them all, the McDonald’s McNugget, turns 40 this year. So we’re asking, who invented the Chicken Nugget? Enter food-scientist Robert Baker who came up with them twenty years before the M…
Inventing Bond: Cocktails [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
It's Cocktail Hour! In honour of James Bond we ask who invented cocktails? Have they always been a cool thing to drink? And where do horses bottoms fit into things?Dallas' guest today is the pre-eminent historian (and ma…